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Arlene Gerlach
Arlene Gerlach
Toledo
Arlene Gerlach, of Toledo, went to be with her Lord and Savior on Tuesday, May 30, 2023, at the age of 91, at the Iowa River Hospice Home in Marshalltown. A funeral service will be held Friday, June 2, 2023, at 10:30 a.m. at Christ United Methodist Church in Toledo with Pastor Alan Mullikin officiating. Interment will follow at the Oak Hill Cemetery in Tama. Visitation will be held Thursday, June 1, 2023, from 5 to 7 p.m. ,at Kruse-Phillips Funeral Home in Tama.
Arlene Hopper, the youngest of five children, was born on Jan. 27, 1932, to Marshall and Vera (Schrader) Hopper in Tripoli, Iowa, in Bremer County. She spent her childhood living on various farms in the Toledo area, attending Toledo public schools.
After meeting at the National Dairy Cattle Congress, Arlene was united in marriage to Dale Gerlach of St. Ansgar, Iowa, in October 1948. They lived on a farm in St. Ansgar until they moved to their farm in rural Toledo, where they ran a dairy operation. They had three children, Barbara (John) Gudenkauf, Vicki (Chuck) Sawyer and Steven (Becky) Gerlach, along with eight grandchildren and 18 grandchildren. Also surviving is a brother, Bud Hopper. Arlene and Dale operated a dairy operation and received many awards in the Dairy Industry and honors at the Iowa State Fair and National Dairy Cattle Congress, Arlene and Dale celebrated 59 years of marriage before his passing in 2007.
Arlene was a member of Christ United Methodist Church in Toledo and was active in her church. She served as a 4-H leader and worked as a waitress at Dick’s Restaurant in Toledo as her children grew older.
She loved gardening and growing flowers. She was an avid card player and enjoyed playing bridge during her later years. She was a huge fan of the Iowa State Cyclones. Family was the most important thing to Arlene. Sunday lunches with extended family began with her mother and this tradition continued throughout Arlene’s life with Sunday lunch with her kids as the highlight of her week. All of her grandchildren were very precious to her. She will be missed greatly by all who knew her.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Dale; a brother, Paul Hopper; two sisters, Phyllis McComas and Dorothy Ohman; and her grandson, Brian Sawyer.
A memorial fund will be established.
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